A moment to honor our leader
We are deeply saddened by the passing of Richard “Rich” Wilson, CEO of Paul Davis. Across our franchise network, corporate teams, partners, and communities, this loss is being felt in different ways, quietly, personally, and deeply.
Some knew Rich well. Others met him briefly at a conference, a summit, or on a call. But even those short moments often made a lasting impression: he was calm, grounded, and present. He led in a way that made people feel seen, and he carried the responsibility of leadership without distance or pretense.
In times like these, words can feel both necessary and insufficient. Still, we want to say this: Rich mattered to this company, to the people who power it, and to the customers we serve in their hardest moments. We will miss him. We will honor him. And we will carry forward what he built, together.
Leadership rooted in values, not volume
Rich’s leadership was steady and values driven. Team members have reflected that our vision, mission, and values weren’t simply “hung on the walls” under his leadership—they were a lived expectation. What he believed, what he said, and what he did were consistently in alignment.
That alignment showed up most clearly under pressure. Restoration is a demanding business, and leadership in this space can’t be theoretical, it must hold when decisions are difficult and emotions are high. Rich believed in fundamentals: do the right thing, keep your word, respect people, and stay focused on what matters.
Rich often said something like: “Do what you said you’d do—especially when it’s hard.” It’s a simple standard, but it shaped our expectations for ourselves and for one another.
And it fits our Vision: To provide extraordinary care while serving people in their time of need. Rich didn’t treat that as a tagline. He treated it as a daily test of character: Are we living it in our decisions, our tone, our priorities, and the way we treat people when nobody is watching?
A culture of people-first leadership
If you ask people what they’ll remember, many don’t start with strategy. They start with how Rich made them feel.
Over and over, colleagues described him as accessible and genuinely interested in people, regardless of role or title. One person shared that at an all-team gathering, Rich walked over to someone standing alone and started a conversation by asking who they were, not just what they did. It wasn’t performative; it was how he led. He listened, remembered details, and followed up later, proof that the person mattered, not just the position.
Another “Rich moment” that still makes people smile: someone chatted with him at a table without realizing he was the CEO and joked that he sounded like Nicolas Cage. Rich laughed easily and later walked on stage as CEO. That ability to stay lighthearted, even with a big job, revealed something important: he didn’t use leadership to elevate himself. He used it to make room for others.
Impact on customers and communities
Paul Davis meets people when life is disrupted, when homes and businesses are damaged and uncertainty is close to the surface. In those moments, professionalism isn’t just competence. It’s care.
Rich understood that our work is ultimately about people: customers, families, property managers, business owners, and communities trying to regain stability. He reinforced a culture of follow-through and respect, delivering what we promise, communicating clearly, and showing up with calm confidence when the situation is anything but calm.
Team members have described his leadership as grounded in empathy and service “a desire to lead with grace, empathy, and servitude.” That kind of leadership travels. It shows up in the way our teams explain the next step, protect dignity, and keep their composure under pressure. It shows up in extraordinary care.
An industry legacy of standards and belief
Rich cared deeply about the restoration industry and the reputation of Paul Davis within it. He believed in raising the bar, through professionalism, clarity, and a culture that develops leaders at every level.
Many people described him as a humble competitor with a “winning spirit” not winning for ego but winning because he believed in what this brand can do and the people who make it possible. Others shared that his steadiness proved something worth remembering: leadership doesn’t need to be loud or forceful to be effective. It can be consistent, respectful, and grounded.
One phrase shared by a colleague captured how well Rich modeled curiosity: “Ask another question.” Not to challenge for the sake of it, but to understand, to elevate, and to keep improving.
Carrying his legacy forward
We won’t pretend this is easy. Loss doesn’t follow a neat timeline. But we do know how we will honor Rich: by living what he lived.
We will carry his legacy forward by protecting our culture of care. By leading with integrity and humility. By being accessible. By treating people as equals. By holding ourselves to the promises we make, especially when it’s hard.
We will protect our culture of service, integrity, and care for people. We will lead with humility and high standards. We will represent the brand with pride, and keep doing the work that matters most: serving people in their time of need with extraordinary care.
If you’d like to share a memory of Rich or reflect on how his leadership impacted you, we invite you to do so through the Paul Davis channels. Your stories help preserve what mattered, and they help all of us recommit to the mission we carry forward.
